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The National Society of Professional Engineers

The National Society of Professional Engineers. Creation of Software Engineering P.E. Exam. By Dan Wittliff, P.E., F.NSPE President 2012-2013. Creating a Software Engineering Exam and a Path to Licensure. Consortium background and organizations Consortium accomplishments

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The National Society of Professional Engineers

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  1. The National Society of Professional Engineers

  2. Creation of Software Engineering P.E. Exam By Dan Wittliff, P.E., F.NSPE President 2012-2013

  3. Creating a Software Engineering Exam and a Path to Licensure • Consortium background and organizations • Consortium accomplishments • Professional society efforts • State regulator actions and concerns • Exam development and content • What’s in it for the profession? • What’s licensable practice? Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  4. Consortium Background • 1998 – Texas began licensing software engineers through portfolio / experience review • 2002 – NCEES changed rules • Competing software engineering (SWEngr) licensure models • Competing definitions and goals • Purpose of consortium • Reach consensus on SWEngr licensure models • Develop a path forward that: • Engages State Boards • Includes like-minded parties • Culminates with first SWEngr PE Exam in Spring 2011 Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  5. Software Engineering Exam • NCEES • NSPE • IEEE – USA • IEEE Computer Society • Texas Board of Professional Engineers • Prometric

  6. Organizations involved • IEEE (USA, CS PPC, CS Wireless) • NSPE (PEI, L&QP, BOD) • TBPE (Board, Staff, SWETF) • NCEES (Exam Development) Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  7. Consortium accomplishments (1 of 4) • Summit meeting in Denver, July 07 • Reached consensus on key issues • Separate discipline that can impact public health, safety, and welfare • Software engineering definition • Licensure of Software Engineers should be promoted • Specifics remain state-by-state process Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  8. Software Engineering Defined Software engineering is the application and/or study of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, that has an impact on the lives, property, economy, or security of people or the national defense; that is, the application of engineering to software. Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  9. Consortium accomplishments (2 of 4) • Consensus issues continued: • Basic path to licensure • ABET engineering degree • FE Exam • 4 years engineering experience • SWEngr P&P exam • Certification by IEEE does not replace licensure • Use NCEES model for exam development • Inclusion of related disciplines in the BOK for SWEngr Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  10. Consortium accomplishments (3 of 4) • Developed “Recommendation for a Path to Software Engineering Licensure” • Developed plan for approaching State Boards of Licensure • Received resolution of support from NSPE BOD • Received letters of support from Licensing Boards in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  11. Consortium accomplishments (4 of 4) • Presented SELC path forward to IEEE-USA L&R Committee on 12/01/07 • Received IEEE-USA L&R endorsement and favorable recommendation to IEEE-USA BOD • IEEE-USA agreed to be the lead sponsoring technical society for the software engineering exam in August 2009 • PAKS team formed in late 2009 • Exam writing team began work in late 2010 • First exam administered in April 2013 Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  12. Action Plan Goal: Administer the first SWEngr P&P Exam by Fall 2011 Seven Step Process: • Step 1: Engage with State Boards (11/07 – 4/08) • Step 2: Get at least 10 State Boards to request NCEES develop a SWEngr exam (1/08 – 6/08) • Step 3: Receive NCEES Board of Directors‘ approval (6/08 – 8/08) • Step 4: Consummate exam development agreement with NCEES (9/08 – 11/08) Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  13. Seven Step Process continued: • Step 5: Engage with NCEES in developing PAKS, test questions, and exam questions (12/08 – 7/09) • Step 6: Review and score exam. Set cut off score and standards (8/09 – 11/10) • Step 7: Prepare, distribute, and administer first PE Exam for Software Engineers (12/10 – 10/11) Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  14. NCEES Examination Development Process Overview Task Analysis Performed (PAKS) Examination Specification Developed Need for Examination Identified Item Writing & Review Examination Assembly & Review Equating of Examination Standard Setting Study Examination Scoring Examination Administration After Cut Score Established

  15. Software Engineering – PE Exam Specification • Requirements • Design • Construction • Testing • Maintenance • Configuration Management • Engineering Processes • Quality Assurance • Safety, Security, and Privacy

  16. Public Awareness • NSPE PE article in 2007 and 2009 • IEEE Today’s Engineer article in July 2011 • Press releases to Technical Societies in 2009 • Presentations to State Boards • Alabama, 5/08 • Delaware, 4/08 • Illinois, 2/08 • Kansas, 12/08 • Michigan, 4/08 • New Mexico, 4/08 • Texas, 1/08 Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  17. Professional Organization Action • NSPE Board of Directors, July 28, 2007 • Endorsed the actions of the SWEngr Summit • Resolved to support the path forward in licensing SWEngr • IEEE-USA L&R Committee, December 1, 2007 • Supported SELC actions • Voted a resolution of support • Forwarded resolution to IEE-USA Board of Directors Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  18. Professional Organization Action • IEEE-USA Board of Directors • Approved the resolution to IEEE-USA L&R Committee in August 2009 • Agreed to be the lead sponsoring technical society • NCEES Board of Directors • Received the 10 state requests for the exam • Approved the creation of the exam in 2010 Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  19. State Agency Action • Alabama – Presentation on 5/2/08. Letter to NCEES in 8/4/09. • Connecticut – Considering • Delaware – Letter sent to NCEES in 11/08. • Florida – Letter sent to NCEES in 7/08. • Illinois – Presentation on 2/21/08. Letter in the works. • Kansas – Presentation on 12/11/08. • Louisiana – Considered on 3/16/08. Declined to support at this time. • Michigan – Letter sent to NCEES in 8/08. • Mississippi – Declined to support at this time. Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  20. State Agency Action • Missouri – Supported in 1/09. • New Jersey – Considering • New Mexico – Support letter sent in 12/08. • North Carolina – Letter sent to NCEES in 7/08. • New York – Letter sent to NCEES in 3/08. • Oklahoma – Declined to support at this time. • Pennsylvania – Reconsidering earlier declination. • Texas– Letter sent to NCEES in 2/08. • Virginia – Letter sent to NCEES in 11/08. • Wisconsin – Considering • Wyoming – Declined to support at this time. Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  21. What concerns do the Licensing Boards have? • Is this recommended path to licensure consistent with the model law? • Yes • Graduate from ABET-accredited curriculum • Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam • Four years of acceptable experience • Pass the P&P Exam Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  22. What concerns do the Licensing Boards have? • What is normal software? • Software is the electronically coded instructions to computers or programmable control devices. • Software effects entertainment and office products as well as many key infrastructure devices. • Software development for mass consumer products is regulated under commerce regulations and generally exempt from Engineering Practice Acts. • SELC proposes no change to state practice acts. Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  23. What concerns do the Licensing Boards have? • What is software engineering? • Software Engineering is the application and/or study of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software that has an impact on the lives, property, economy, or security of people or the national defense; that is, the application of engineering to software. • Software Engineering requires the application of higher mathematics and the physical sciences to writing software that controls key pieces of infrastructure with a potential impact on public health, safety, and welfare. Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  24. What concerns do the Licensing Boards have? • What needs to be programmed or overseen by a Licensed PE? • Infrastructure: emergency dispatch services, fire alarms/sprinklers, emergency shut down systems, electrical grid, public water supply • Medicine: heart lung machines, ventilators, medical infusion pumps, medical dispensers, implant devices, robotics, and medical records • Energy: nuclear reactors, override systems, electrical grid systems, petroleum pumps • Recreation: amusement park rides • Transportation: railway signals/controls, auto; airbags, brakes, seatbelts, aviation; air traffic control, avionics, air crew life support, emergency evacuation equipment, automated traffic control Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  25. What concerns do the Licensing Boards have? • What needs to be programmed or overseen by a Licensed PE? • Financial: banking systems, accounting, online financial systems, information security • Government: taxation, licenses, criminal systems legislative support, public policy tools • Communications: switching, transmission multiplexing, network management • Military: GPS satellite, radio communications, artillery controls, aircraft systems Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  26. Professional licensing of software engineers serves the interest of the as many as 30,000 IEEE-USA members by providing a formal path to licensure. Software Engineering degree programs are growing: 2005 – 18 Schools and 196 BS Degrees 2006 – 24 Schools (13 ABET) and 218 BS Degrees 2007 – 450 Seniors, 305 Juniors, 262 Sophomores, and 459 Freshmen, 15 ABET programs 2013 – 22 ABET programs Six Canadian universities granted 297 BS degrees in 2006 What’s in it for the profession? Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  27. 22 ABET Degree programs in 17 states Alabama California Connecticut Florida (2) Georgia Indiana Michigan Mississippi Montana What’s in it for the profession? Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  28. 22 ABET Degree programs in 17 states Montana New Jersey New York (2) Pennsylvania (3) South Dakota Texas (2) Virginia Wisconsin (2) What’s in it for the profession? Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  29. What’s in it for the profession? • Setting a path for licensure now allows state boards to attract these graduates and set a new paradigm. • Licensure of software engineers serves to distinguish them from lesser qualified professionals in the public's perception of the profession. • Licensure provides an extra level of scrutiny where public safety, health, and welfare are at issue. • A separate PE Exam for Software Engineering provides the formal path to licensure recognized by the States. Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

  30. Software EngineeringDefined • Software Engineering is the application and/or study of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software that has an impact on the lives, property, economy, or security of people or the national defense; that is, the application of engineering to software. (Software Engineering Licensure Consortium)

  31. Software EngineeringLicensing Process • Licensure Process – Same as other Disciplines • ABET Engineering Degree • Associated Degrees (CS ?) • FE Exam – EE / Computer or Other Disciplines • Work Experience • PE References – Software PE, EE PE, Other Disciplines • Software Engineering PE Exam

  32. Software EngineeringLicensable Practice • States require licensure of certain engineers to ensure that any practitioner is at least minimally competent • Intent is to protect the public from injurious consequences of incompetent “engineers” • Licensure is required if the engineer is involved in building a system whose failure could cause significant harm is offering his services directly to the public and not through a corporation, or government entity • Same for Software Engineering

  33. Software EngineeringLicensable Practice • Would all software engineers need to be licensed? • No, only those providing their services directly to the public • Would all software have to be developed or supervised by licensed software engineers? • No, only software that has an impact on the lives, property, economy, or security of people • Licensing software engineers isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime event • Engineers must renew their licenses annually and may be subject to mandatory continuous professional development

  34. Software EngineeringLicensable Practice • Does the software control a device or devices that could directly inflict harm to a human being if there was a malfunction? • Does the software put the assets of an individual or corporate entity at risk beyond the normal amount of risk assumed in everyday business transactions? • Does the software expose identifying information of an individual or a corporate entity that would violate any federal, state or local laws? • Does the software interact with other systems in way that directly satisfies 1-3 above?

  35. Software EngineeringLicensable Practice • License • Smart Building Controls • Water Treatment Plant • Nuclear Power Plant • Power Grid • Traffic Control Systems • No License • Websites • Network Maintenance • ‘Shrink Wrapped’ Software • Games

  36. Software EngineeringLicensable Practice • Licensure? • Banking Systems • Medical Information Systems • Government Databases • Engineering Tools (CAD, Structural Analysis Systems, etc.) • Cyber security

  37. Software Engineering Exam • NCEES • NSPE • IEEE – USA • IEEE Computer Society • Texas Board of Professional Engineers • Prometric

  38. Creation of a Software Engineering Exam Q & A Dan Wittliff, P.E., F. NSPE Dan.Wittliff@gdsassociates.com Software Engineering Licensing Consortium

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